10 Questions You Should Prepare For as a Finance Candidate

Prestige Recruitment Group specialise in Accountancy and Finance, so we see our fair few finance candidates. It doesn’t matter how many job interviews you’ve been on, they will still make you nervous. This is your one chance to really impress your potential employer, and this is why it’s so important that you are thoroughly prepared.

Prestige Recruitment Group has therefore made a list of the top ten questions you should prepare for as a finance candidate. Some of them are more general, whereas others are a little bit more specific - but make sure you prepare for every single one of them! 

1) Tell me about yourself

This question usually sets the groundwork for the entire interview and your potential employer wants to know about your work history. They want to know exactly where you are professionally, what you have learnt from your past work experiences and why you are there today

2) What do you know about our company?

This question is asked so that your potential employer can understand how much research you have done prior to your interview. The best way to answer this is to actually do your research! Have a look across their website and social media. The best way to turn this round it to make it industry specific, see what they do and link it back to the financial industry!

3) What do you know about the industry?

Following on from the previous question, your potential employer is also trying to see how much research you’ve done about the industry to see if you know your stuff! They want to see if you keep up to date with all the financial news and on goings, so flick through some news outlets and see what’s happening in the industry. Extra points if you find something really relevant from that day’s news!

4) Why do you want this job?

You need to be completely honest with your answer and it’s really important that you show your passion for the role you have applied for. Bring up the work the company has done in the past and how that fits into trends in the industry – you’ll show you know your stuff! As well as this, make sure you bring up ways you can make an impact and how your views align with that of the company. 

5) What are your strengths?

This is a question you can really brag about! Make sure you highlight a strength that is crucial for the position you are interviewing for. 

6) What are your weaknesses?

Everyone hates this question but it doesn’t have to be that bad! Don’t pick something that is essential to the job, and don’t pick something that isn’t really a weakness, like ‘I’m a perfectionist.’ Whatever you choose, show your employer that you’re working on it - this question is a perfect opportunity to show that you are self-aware.

7) What do you know about our competition?

The financial industry is very competitive, so it’s important that you look at the companies or businesses that are closely related to the business you are interviewing at. State how the company differs. 

8) What motivates you?

Even though you’re interviewing to be part of the financial industry – the answer shouldn’t be money. Showcase your passion and illustrate how the company can help you develop skills, which are your key motivators!

9) What do you do outside of work?

As we’ve said, the financial industry is very competitive. If you play any sports or are involved in anything that’s quite competitive, make sure you mention them here. Remember – it’s not a trick question. Your interviewer is human, and so are you, so don’t be afraid to go slightly off topic here. 

10) Do you have any questions for me?

The answer should always be yes! This question gives you the opportunity to showcase your passion for the company and industry. Bring in some of the research you’ve done – perhaps ask about any projects the company are currently working on.

3 Reasons to Relocate for Work

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The idea of relocating for work can seem scary and impossible, especially if it doesn’t seem like you have enough funds to completely uplift your life into a different city. However, more businesses are offering relocation support for the right candidate - this includes helping with accommodation or giving a candidate more money. For anyone, the idea of actually moving can be frightening, but a recent survey shows that workers who do take the plunge don’t really regret the decision. According to The People Perspective on Relocation, 3,078 reported on the main rewards for relocating for work:

1) New Experiences

Many people can feel that they are stagnant in their career or they’re after something completely different, and that’s why the ideology of relocation is something really exciting. Many people relocate for work because they want a change in their life – and there’s no better way to do this than completely moving!

71% of respondents from the survey said that by moving to take a new job, they were allowed to enjoy new experiences, whether at work or outside the office. In today’s society, more millennials than ever are moving to big cities for work so that they can meet new people from different cities. The millennial workforce are the perfect age to do this – most of them don’t have anything that ties them down to a particular city!

2) Better Career Prospects

Within certain industries, jobs are scarce in some areas, but very sought after in other places. That’s why some individuals may move to another city in order to benefit themselves in regard to work. As well as this, there may be better opportunities for you in the long-run in regards to the career you have.

For example, big cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester are likely to have more specific industry-related roles with more scope for promotion that smaller companies in villages or small towns. In the study, 55% of respondents said that they feel that their career is on a better track both today in their current role and in the future.

3) Dislike of Society and Community

If you dislike your community (both inside and outside of the office), relocating can be the perfect opportunity for you to find somewhere you really feel like you belong. Community culture is such a vital element to the role you do – if you don’t like your area, you’re not going to be happy regardless of your job role. The best way to change this is to get out of the area that is making you feel unhappy and relocate for a new role in a different area you can imagine living in.

The study found that 40% of respondents felt like they had found better communities in the office and area they had moved into.

Other reasons for relocating for work include the standard ones such as salary, cost of living, and own personal needs. If you do decide that you want to relocate for work, make sure you get in touch. We may have the perfect role for you.  Check out our other blogs here.

Finding a New Job After Losing One

Ideally, finding a job is something that you do on your own terms. Sometimes, you just want to try something new or you’re looking for your first job.

Unfortunately however, sometimes things can happen which sees you leaving your current role – perhaps the company just didn’t have the money to support your current role, or perhaps you haven’t passed probation and so need to go back to the job searching market. When this happens, it is easy to immediately dive into applying for any job and everything. However, the apply-now and think-later approach can make your search longer and make things more complicated. When it comes to applying for jobs after you have lost a job, it’s important that you are strategic with your job search.

1) Grieving Time

When you’ve just lost a job, you’re going to need some time to get over it – especially if you weren’t expecting it. Take some time to accept the fact that you are no longer working at your previous role, and have a few days to do things that you didn’t have the chance to while you were working, whether it’s going out with your friends mid-week or getting in to see the doctor. Once you’ve had this time, you’ll be ready to find a new job.

2) Think About Your Career Path

If you’ve lost your job, regardless of the reason why, think about whether you were truly happy. If you were fired because you weren’t performing – is this a telling sign that you actually didn’t really care for that career path? If you decide that the job wasn’t right anyway because you didn’t enjoy it – think about what you actually do enjoy.

3) Update Your CV

Chances are, you haven’t updated your CV yet. Now, you’re going to need to get up the file and do some editing. Write about your last role – think about your responsibilities and what you did. You don’t need to write the reason for leaving on your CV, but you should think about what you’re going to say when you are asked by recruiters or by potential employers.

4) Update Your LinkedIn

CV done. Now it’s time to do the same with your LinkedIn profile!

5) Start Looking For Jobs

Now you know what you want to do and have a CV prepared and ready. Look to see what’s out there, and when you’re ready – apply!

6) Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out

If you’ve looked for available jobs – you might find that there’s a vacancy at a company you already know through someone on your network. This would be a good chance for you to message said connection and highlight the fact you have seen the vacancy they are advertising. Then, you can learn more information about the role, and if you’re not too sure if the position is right for you, you might be able to learn about vacancies they haven’t yet advertised.

7)  Apply

Now it’s time to apply for those jobs! To find out more information about preparing for interviews, check out our blogs here.  

If you are now job-searching, make sure you get in touch.

How to Answer the Question: What are your Strengths?

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If you’ve read our blog ‘The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For’, you’ll know that this is a vital question that you should always prepare for when you have an interview.

Some people may think that this is an easy question, but many candidates fail to prepare properly and sabotage themselves. You don’t have to be too modest, and make sure you get over hesitation to say nice things about yourself. You can do it in a way that makes you feel comfortable and authentic if you prepare in advance. 

Our steps to having the perfect answer are:

1) Make a List Of Your Strengths

Have a proper think and write down all of your strengths. Be honest and make sure that you write down the skills you genuinely think you are great at.

2) Pick Specific, Relevant Skills

Now from the list of your strengths, think about which ones are actually beneficial to the role you are applying for. So instead of opting for the obvious, pick something that has been demonstrated consistently over the course of your career/education. It’s vital that you’re able to add some context to how you found out that this was one of your strengths.

3) Give Examples

Now you’ve got context, expand on that further and add some examples as to when you have used that strength.  

It’s important that you grab hold of this question and guide the interview exactly where you want it to go. You should highlight a strength that is crucial for the position you are being interviewed for and make sure you provide an example and evidence. Your strengths should align with the company needs, and show that you have the qualities, skills and/or experience that set you apart from the competition.

It’s vital that you are honest – don’t lie. If you lie at any point in the interview, you will be caught out and it’s easy for a little white lie to expand into something much bigger.

An example of a great answer is:

‘I have extremely strong writing skills. Having worked as a copywriter for the past two years, I have a strong attention to detail. I have also written for a variety of different outlets, which means I know how to shape my writing style to fit the publication, task and audience. As a marketing assistant, I will be able to write and edit copy with accuracy and ease.’

Check out our other blogs here.

How to Ace a Phone Interview

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So you’ve organised a phone interview and you’re expecting your potential employer to ring you at a specific time. Perfect. Now, the only thing to do is prepare the same way you would for an in-person interview. Just because it’s not a face-to-face interview doesn’t mean it’s time to throw all of the interview rules out of the window.

Some employers may ask for a phone interview for a variety of reasons. It may be to quickly eliminate you as a candidate. This is especially common in big companies so that they don’t waste the time and resources needed to bring you in for an in person interview. Or, you may be having a phone interview if you aren’t available for a face-to-face meeting just yet, or you are planning on relocating for the role. Either way, it’s vital that you don’t give your potential employer a reason not to see you! That’s why Prestige Recruitment Group have prepared this document with some top tops on smashing your phone interview and ensuring you get through to that face-to-face meeting.

1) Take It as Seriously as an in Person Interview

Just because your interviewer won’t be able to see you, doesn’t mean you should be doing the interview from your bed. On the day of your interview, get up and ready like you would for a normal day at work. We’re not saying you need to wear your three piece suit, but wear something you’d wear to go out for the day. That way you will be in the right mindset when it comes to answering your phone as you will be out of bed, ready and prepared for that phone to ring.

2) Focus and Cut Out All Distractions

It’s tempting to have the television on in the background or to unload the dishwasher while you talk, but don’t. This is not the time for multi-tasking! Sit down (at a desk if possible) and focus on the phone call when you’re interviewing. The dishwasher will still be there to be emptied after!

3) Do Your Research

Find out some information about the company you are interviewing with. Find out the answers to:

·      What does the company do?

·      What’s the company mission?

·      What’s the company’s history?

·      What’s the company’s latest venture?

·      Who are the company’s competitors?

4) Listen

This might sound obvious, but over the phone it’s very easy to end up talking over the top of your interviewer. Therefore, it’s absolutely vital that you take the time to listen fully to the questions you have been asked and only begin speaking after your interviewer has stopped asking the question. Communication over the phone is slightly more difficult than that in person as you don’t have any visual cues so it’s important that you listen to everything that is said.

5) Prepare A Cheat-Sheet

As you’re not interviewing in person, you can actually create a cheat-sheet to help you with your answers to the questions you may be asked. Write your research down, prepare some questions and write down some things you need to remember to ask your interviewer. Don’t write your answers down fully – your interviewer will know if you are just reading from a sheet – but you can jot down some notes to remember to mention over the phone.

Be sure to check out the rest of our blogs here.

How to Answer the Question: What motivates you at work?

If you’ve read our previous blog post ‘The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!’ you’ll have seen that one of the questions you should prepare to answer is ‘What motivates you?’ This is a question that throws off many candidates because it’s quite broad and can be very easy to misinterpret. Because of this, Prestige Recruitment Group have decided to decipher this headache-inducing question and break it down into an easy and answerable subject.   

So, let’s decode the question. Firstly, it’s important to note that the question is not asking you ‘What are your motivations for applying for the job?’ and ‘What are your career goals and aspirations?’

The question is actually asking what gets you out of bed in the morning, what makes you want to go to work?

Your interviewer wants to know what makes you tick, what you enjoy doing and what you value at work. They want to see how you would fit into their business.

The first questions you should ask yourself when preparing to answer this question is:

·      What do you enjoy doing? What did you enjoy at school/college/university? What have you enjoyed doing while working at part-time jobs or internships?

·      When you got home feeling like you’d had a good day – what kind of tasks projects had you tackled? 

·      What sort of tasks are you best at? In what sort of environments do you work best?

·      Do you work better in a team or by yourself?

Once you have a bit more of an idea about what it is that does make you happy to go to work, the best way to answer this question is to be honest. As well as this, you should also connect to the vacancy you are going for by suggesting that you would be suited to the role because of what motivates you.

Whatever you say about motivation, you need to back it up with examples. Here’s an overview of types of experience that you may find motivating:

·      meeting deadlines, targets or goals

·      mentoring or coaching others

·      learning new things

·      coming up with creative ideas that are innovative and fresh

·      analysing complex data to make it simple and understandable

·      leading a team to success

·      being in a team

·      completing a difficult project because of the pride you feel after

·      being able to physically see a project come to life

·      solving problems

Whatever answer you pick, it’s absolutely vital that you make sure you choose an answer that is personal and relates to your own background.

An example of a good answer is:

‘I am motivated by being able to see the work I have created – it gives me a real sense of accomplishment. For example, when I was working as a journalist for the student newspaper at University, I would feel so proud when I could look at my work in the newspaper and see all my hard work come into physical form!’

This response answers the question and supplies evidence. It’s also important that your answer is relevant to the role you are applying for – so this answer would be relevant if you were applying for a journalistic role or a content creator. If, however, you were applying for a job in sales, you could answer the question by talking about how motivated you feel when you reach sales targets!

As we said, it’s vital that you prepare for each potential interview question before you’re actually in that interview room. Check out our other blog posts here to ensure that you are thoroughly prepared for whatever question gets thrown at you!

What Will The Top Jobs Of 2020 Be?

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Society is constantly changing, and with that, so is the working landscape. With the development of tech and artificial intelligence, many jobs have already become less important and less needed. For example, warehouse workers can be replaced by machines, proofreading can be carried out by computers and even passport control can be done through imagery systems! ‘The Future of Jobs,’ a report by the World Economic Forum, surveyed executives from more than 350 employers across nine industries and studied what jobs would still be relevant in 2020. After analysing these results, Prestige Recruitment Group have made a list of the top five roles we believe will be relevant in a couple of years.

1)    Data Analysts

The world of technology will expand at an increasing rate, so there will be a focus on computer occupation roles, specifically data analysts. According to the report by the World Economic Forum, data analysts will become increasingly important in all industries in 2020. It is believed that as technology develops further, we will need data analysts in order to make sense of the data generated by technological disruptions. Other important computer occupations will include computer programmers, software developers, information security analysts and more.

2)    Architecture and Engineering

By 2020, the demand for architectural and engineering experts will continue to increase. The World Economic Forum states that there will be a growth for biochemical, nanotechnology, and robotics engineers. Demand for these roles will increase, as they are very specialised roles where design is vital – it’s predicted that 2 million jobs will be created worldwide in the architectural and engineering fields!

3)   Salespeople

With further technology developments, there will be an increased need for specialised salespeople who will be able to understand, explain and sell products to a wide range of consumers. For example, salespeople that fully understand their products are the best – so as the products get more technical and specialised, so will the salespeople.  

4)    HR

With the changing landscape, new jobs will be created and people will need to fill them. Human Resources will become vital in this process – specifically with training existing employees with new skill sets. According to the ‘Future of Jobs’ report, 65% of respondents said that they will be investing in reskilling current employees. Therefore, thorough training programmes carried out by HR will be vital – regardless of the company or industry of the business. 

5)   Regulatory Relations Experts

With the introduction of GDPR earlier this year, many companies discussed regulations and standards with legal experts who made sure that the business was fully covered and not breaking any legal regulations. These legal experts will become more sought after as the years go by. With the development of tech, traditional rules are expected to change. For example – what would the legal requirements be for driverless cars? Drones? Supermarket VR? It’s expected that there will be more rules, and so legal experts will have to be on hand to help businesses and companies the same way they supported through GDPR!

It’s difficult to know for sure what roles will actually be relevant in 2020 until we actually get there, however, this blog is written following the findings from the ‘Future of Jobs’ report. Regardless of the technicality of roles, there is absolutely no doubting the power that the tech industry has to completely change the work landscape. With the development of tech, you’d be silly not to read our blog about Birmingham and tech! You can read it here. 

5 Skills You NEED to be an Excellent Remote Worker

Today, remote working is on the increase, with predictions that 50% of workers will be doing their jobs remotely by 2020. In fact, there are many companies that are completely remote, which saves them money in renting office space and saves employees money on commuting. Many jobs can be done remotely, so if you’re interested in working from home or somewhere out of the office, Prestige Recruitment Group have listed 5 Skills You NEED to be an Excellent Remote Worker.

1)  Technological Skills

In order to stay in contact with other members of your team and your managers, you’re going to need an Internet connection. With that, you’re probably going to have to use a computer and phone. Therefore, it is essential that you learn all your systems before you start working remotely. Test out all of your software beforehand – will you be using GoToMeeting, Zoom or Skype for your video conferencing? Try them all, and choose the most reliable program that works for your company. Make sure you have thorough knowledge - you won’t be a productive employee if you constantly have to sort out simple IT issues. Therefore, make sure that you are able to use your phone and other devices with ease - it will make working remotely as smooth as possible.

2)  Communication Skills

When you work remotely, you can’t run over to a colleague’s desk to ask them questions whenever you need them. You therefore need to ensure that you are communicating effectively through other mediums such as email and the phone. It is vital that you can pick up the phone and be able to explain things efficiently and to the point, so that the person on the other side of the line understands what you are saying first time. You also need to nail your email etiquette (check out our other blog here). Ensure that you are clear and concise with your words in order to avoid confusion.

 

3)  Self-Motivated and Disciplined

Working remotely means that you won’t have your manager looking over your shoulder and constantly reminding you of what needs to be done for when. Because of this, it can be difficult to stay motivated outside of a professional workplace setting. You may not be distracted by colleagues and general office chit-chat, however you are likely to have distractions of your own. Without working in a professional workplace office, it can be easy to get distracted by a cat video on Facebook, and before you know it, you’ll be four hours deep, scrolling through your Facebook timeline. Therefore, in order to be an excellent remote worker, you need to learn to avoid distraction and motivate yourself with what needs doing.

4)  Time-Management Skills

Linking into our previous skill, it is also important that you have great time-management skills. When you clock into work at 9 every morning and leave everyday at 5, managing your time becomes very automatic. One of the biggest perks of working remotely is that you can use your time as you like – if you need to pop out on Wednesday lunch time, you can, as long as you work and make up for it. Therefore, in order to ensure that you get everything done that you need to, you need to manage your time efficiently and effectively so that everything is complete to it’s highest standard on time.

5)  Team Player

Being a team player is important when you work remotely, especially if other people on your team also work from home. Depending on the company or type of business you work for, there may be times when you have to conference call employees that work in different countries and continents. You may have to compromise what is considered normal working hours if you have to get up early, or work late in order to catch up with members of the team who work across the globe. Therefore, in order to be an excellent remote worker, you need to be able to put the teams needs and wants in front of what works for you – it’s all about compromise. 

Working remotely comes with many perks – you can literally work from anywhere and everywhere. However, it’s important to remember that you are still working even if you’re doing it from the comfort of your own bed. If you're interested in more information about remote working, check out '5 Reasons Why You Should Offer Employees The Opportunity To Work From Home.' 

Top Tips for Starting a Career in Fashion

There is no denying that the fashion industry is absolutely massive – and it’s only going to continue to grow. Fast-paced, exciting and forever changing, fashion can be a nerve-wracking industry to break into and so Prestige Recruitment Group have listed some questions you NEED to ask yourself before you start your new career!

What Area Of Fashion Do You Want To Work In?

As the fashion industry is absolutely huge, there are so many different departments and areas you can work in. The first thing you should do before you start actively job seeking is to have a think about what exactly it is that you want to do. You can work in any area of the industry you want to – whether that’s in photography, styling, merchandising, buying or designing! Once you have decided on the area you want to work in, you can gather the experience and knowledge needed for that particular career path. It also means you can create a specialised and specific CV, which is preferred over generalised, broad ‘I love fashion’ CV’s.

How Creative Is Your CV?

Talking of CV’s, it is important to remember that the fashion sector of the working world is incredibly creative. In order to match this, you should tailor and format your CV in a creative way. Although some companies may prefer your standard, run-of-the-mill CV, you should ensure that you do your research beforehand. If the company is artistic, imaginative and innovative, match their company culture and send in a CV that is formatted differently and looks a little more unique. Within the fashion industry, risks are more likely to pay off. Just remember, if you’re going for a creative job, chances are that your employer is going to be looking for creativity in everything that you do.

Do You Have Enough Work Experience?

With fashion being such a competitive industry, it can be difficult to find internships within the industry. Unfortunately however, experience is necessary to bagging your first job, so the best thing you can do is get some. The good thing about fashion being such a massive industry is that there are tonnes of companies, businesses and shops that are fashion based. You should reach out to as many companies as you can in order to get some much-needed experience – and remember, you might not get if you don’t ask! No experience is bad experience, so if you end up bagging a sales assistant job in a fashion shop, make it the most worthwhile experience you can. Ask management if you can help out with visual merchandising or with how the store looks, as all of this will look great on your CV.

How Persistent Are You?

With the fashion industry being so competitive, it can be easy to lose motivation if you are rejected for vacancies. The important thing to remember is that you need to stay enthusiastic and persistent. Every single bit of experience is good experience – so take what you can get and make it the best it can possibly be. If you get rejected, ask for feedback and adjust accordingly. Networking is also important – so go out and talk to people. Individuals who already work within the fashion industry are your best asset – they can give you advice, help and may even be able to offer you work experience. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people and gather information about their experiences in order to build a more specific and realistic set of goals for yourself.

Have You Prepared Your Portfolio?

Whatever you do, whether it’s blogging about fashion or doing visual merchandising, take pictures and screenshots in order to build up your portfolio. If you are aiming to work within the fashion industry, chances are that you’re going to be a creative and so a portfolio is going to be mandatory. Make sure you take photographs of everything you do as and when you are doing it – and add it straight to your portfolio. That way, if someone asks to see it, you’ve already got it prepared. Make sure that your portfolio illustrates your unique style and reflects who you are as an individual.

Are You Up To Date With Trends?

If you are planning on working with the fashion industry, it is vital that you are up to date with current fashion trends and styles. You can keep your knowledge up to date by checking out fashion blogs and following influential people within the industry. Social media platforms such as Instagram are a great way to see what people are wearing and where they are wearing it.

So if you love fashion, be sure to check out our other blog 'The Top Fashion Events to Look Out For in 2018' and let us know what events you're planning on attending this year! 

The Definitive Guide to Working British Festivals

With festival season slowly approaching, now is the time for you to apply to work at some of the biggest festivals the UK boasts, including Latitude, Reading & Leeds, Parklife and Download. Although this year is a fallow year for Glastonbury, last year they had a staggering 175,000 attendees – so you can see how imperative it is that every event has enough staff to run as smoothly as possible. The UK has tonnes of companies you can work at festivals with – whether that’s volunteering through a charity such as Oxfam, or using a company that pays you to work such as DC Site Services.

What roles can you work at a festival?

Depending on the festival you will be working for, there are tonnes of jobs you can do. All aspects of the event need staff, so you could work in:

·      Stewarding / Security

·      Bar Work

·      Information Staff

·      Selling Merchandise

·      Litter Cleaner

·      Campsite Staff

·      Wristband Duties

·      Car and Coach Park Attendants

·      Gate Staff

·      Medical Staff

What are the benefits of working at a festival?

Skillset: 

Just from working over the weekend at a festival, you can develop an array of skills such as customer service, dedication and time management. These skills look great to future employers as you have experience with dealing and communicating with a variety of people across the festival.

Save/Earn Money:

When you work or volunteer at a festival, you will get your ticket free. With tickets for some of the biggest festivals equalling up to a few hundred pounds, it’s a great opportunity for you to go to the festival without coughing up the dough. More often than not, you will be working shifts throughout the weekend, which means you can spend your spare time seeing acts and live music across the festival itself!

Meet New People:

Hundreds of people volunteer at festivals all the time and it’s such a great way to meet like-minded people. The down time at a festival (when you’re not working) is a great opportunity for you to meet people who have come from up and down the country to volunteer/work alongside you at the festival!

Some Top Tips

Go Early

Get up to the campsite as early as you can. When you arrive before all the ticket-holders, the atmosphere is special, and you can see the infrastructure grow from nothing. As more people come through and begin setting up at campsites, you can feel the excitement develop – and you’ll have been there from the very beginning! It’s also a great chance for you to meet other workers, and a lot of companies deal their shifts out on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis so if you want the best shifts... GO EARLY!!

Pack Appropriately

Although it might be summer and warm in the day – make sure you pack appropriately! Until you know what shifts you’re doing at the festival, it’s difficult to know what you should be wearing. For example, litter picking during the day might be very hot as you’re in the sun all day, however litter picking during the night will be freezing. Take a mixture of clothes, including jumpers so that you can put them on when it starts getting cooler in the evening. Make sure you take WATERPROOF SHOES!! The amount of mud at any festival is unbelievable – and you may be working right in it.

Don’t Take Anything You Can’t Replace

Although when working at a festival, you’ll probably have better security than the average ticket-holder, you still shouldn’t take anything too expensive or irreplaceable to the festival. With thousands of people attending, it’s very easy to lose valuables. Many festivals also have pickpockets and thieves – so be careful of those too.

Be Positive and HAVE FUN!!

When all you want to do is get involved and see some great artists, it can be slightly irritating having to serve drunk people at the bar all day. It’s important that you stay positive!! You won’t be working the whole time that you’re there and you will have your downtime too so remember this and have a laugh with your colleagues!!

So get your applications in and let us know what festivals you’re going to be working at this year!

How to Dress for a Formal Job Interview

You’ve been invited to a job interview – great! You’ve read our other blog posts and have prepared fully by researching the company and practicing your answers but there’s still one thing worrying you. You don’t know what to wear.

The way you should dress is dependant on the industry you will be working in. For example, the clothes you would wear for a part-time retail job would be more casual than how you would dress for a full-time office based role. It’s really important that when you’re preparing your outfit, you research the company and their interview process. Some companies such as Nandos explicitly state that their office spaces are not like a ‘typical Head Office’ and that they ‘forget polished boots and pencil skirts.’ So with a company like this, you might not want to go in a full suit, but opt for something more smart casual.

So now you’ve done your research and you know whether you should be dressing in a formal way or smart-casual. This blog post focuses on just formal interviews so Prestige Recruitment Group have written some advice below on How to Dress for a FORMAL Job Interview.

Clothing

Dependent on the gender you identify with, there’s a few ways that you can dress. For formal interviews, the most common outfit choice is usually a suit because everybody and anyone can wear one. If you want to wear a suit, whether that’s a trouser suit or skirt suit – make sure it matches. There’s nothing worse than wearing a suit of different shades, so ensure that you wear the full matching set. A dark-coloured suit in navy, black or dark grey with a light, clean long sleeved shirt or blouse is probably your best bet.

Your outfit should be comfortable, and if you haven’t had to wear a suit for a few years, it might be worth investing in a new one. If you choose to wear a tie, wear something that’s not too bright, loud or flashy. Your tie needs to complement the rest of your outfit, so it should be matched to the rest of our outfit to ensure there are no colour clashes.

If you decide to wear a dress - avoid bright patterns and stick to a formal outfit. Avoid anything tight, bright or short. As a rule, try and keep the dress length to just above the knee or longer. If you are wearing a skirt or dress, wear tights too. Try and get some that perfectly match the tone of your skin, but if this is too difficult – it’s okay to wear black. Try and carry an extra pair of tights in your bag too – you never know when you’re going to snag or ladder the ones you are wearing.

Regardless of your gender, make sure your shoes are dark, well polished and clean. If you want to wear heels, don’t wear anything too high. Make sure your shoes aren’t scuffed or run-down.

Makeup

You don’t want to go into your interview with a full-face of makeup. Instead, try and tone it down. If you wear eyeshadow, don’t wear any extreme colours like purple, blue or red. Instead, keep to a natural shimmer or pinks/browns so that it isn’t too blatant. Stay away from contour, highlight and an excessive amount of foundation. Use a touch of concealer for under the eyes and perhaps just one layer of foundation, which should be blended well. Though it won't be outwardly noticeable, it will help counteract any redness if you’re prone to blushing when you get nervous. Don’t use any bright lipsticks - keep the shade within a reasonable range of your natural lip colour. You should always avoid lip-gloss because it’s more likely to get sticky and smeared.

Accessories

Don’t wear an excessive amount of jewellery either. Try and keep it to one pair of earrings, which are studs rather than large hoops. You may want to wear a bracelet or a ring but don’t overdo it! Keep it as minimalistic as you can. While you’re just interviewing, you should take out any facial piercings. This can be annoying but until you fully understand the company culture, you don’t want to wear anything that can come across as dramatic. Try and cover tattoos the best you can for this same reasoning.   

Hairstyles

The day of your interview is not the time to be experimenting with new hair dos. People with short hair can usually just wear their hair without any styling – but people with long hair might need to do something to it. If you can, just wear it down. If your hair is difficult to manage, you may just want to tie it up into a ponytail to get it out of your face.  Avoid gel and hairspray!

Most people have one outfit that they like to wear to interviews, so if you haven’t interviewed for a while – your clothes might not fit, or they might need washing. This is why you should always prepare everything a few days in advance. It gives you time to wash your clothes or buy new things if needed! Avoid wearing or eating anything too smelly just before you go, so avoid wearing too much perfume/aftershave and avoid smoking just before you interview. If you need any advice or help with your interview prep, be sure to check out our other articles here.

5 Skills You NEED to be a Successful Sales Manager

There is no denying that sales managers are instrumental to the success of a sales organisation. In fact, without a great sales manager, it is unlikely that a sales team will be able to achieve the results that they need.

The most successful sales people are flaunt in conversation, confident and have outgoing personalities as they spend most of their time talking to other people. Prestige Recruitment Group understand that to be a great sales manager, it’s not just about personality and so we have listed five other skills that every successful sales manager needs.

1) Thorough Knowledge and Deep Understanding of the Consumer

In order to be a successful sales manager, you must have thorough knowledge and understanding of the consumer. Understanding the customer develops the basic foundation for any sales and a sales manager that doesn’t completely understand their buyer is not as efficient as they could be when developing a selling strategy.

A great sales manager won’t just know who’s buying their products and services, they will also know why and how often their consumer will need them. You should be able to identify the experience that the consumer wants to have and make sure that your whole team are able to exceed these expectations.

2) Excellent Communication Skills & Leading by Example

As a sales manager, you will be responsible for managing a whole team of salespeople. You need to ensure that every single one of them understands their goals and targets and the best way to achieve them. Great sales managers ensure that they give their full attention to what their team is saying, and take time to understand their perspective. Sales teams work better when their needs are met, and they fully understand what is expected of them. A great method of communicating on what should be done is to lead by example. As a great sales manager, nothing else builds credibility like someone who is involved within the whole process. If you communicate with your team and they can see that you’re getting involved, it also sets the standard for what your team should be doing.

You will also be expected to communicate effectively with customers. Fully understanding and reacting to what your customer is saying and their market pressures are imperative. This customer-driven responsiveness is essential to a great sales team; therefore, all-around great communication skills are vital to being a successful sales manager.

3) Continuous Coaching & Mentoring

A great sales manager understands that the coaching and mentoring of your sales team doesn’t stop after the initial training. You should be helping all your sales people to improve their performance and reach their true potential.

If performance issues go unchecked, sales and the morale of the team can be seriously damaged. It is down to you to have planned checkpoints for the team to address performance issues and develop a plan of action to correct the problem. A great sales manager should have great coaching skills to ensure that they not only deal with staff underperforming, but also reward those who are achieving well. This way, you will always keep your staff constantly engaged.

4) Critical Business Strategy and Organisation Skills

To be a successful sales manager, you need to critically understand the business as a whole. The sales environment demands that the best managers thoroughly understand complex business issues and help their salespeople to view their business strategically. Sales managers should be able to help their team make wise decisions, plan better and grow.

Also, you should be able to stay organised within your role as a sales manager as you will receive a lot of data and so a strong sales manager needs to be able to keep on top of everything. The best sales managers will use organisation as part of their business strategy, and be able to assess potential problems and overcome them.

5) Understanding Your Staff

Everyone is different; we all have different motivations, goals and personalities. A truly great sales manager understands that there is no ‘one path’ to success when it comes to the coaching, mentoring and the motivation of their sales staff. It is important to understand their key factors for growth and then tailor each individual's training to them. Looking at your staff and evaluating who needs what and when is one of the most valuable assets a sales manager can have.

Being a sales manager, your job can be testing and difficult at times, as you have to achieve goals and targets as a team. It is however, a very social career in that you communicate with different people all of the time. If you need to recruit for a sales manager or would like to start a career within the sales industry, please get in touch with us.

How to Get a Job That You Love

Job Boards like Monster and Indeed are full of job vacancies and once you know what you want to do – it can be quite easy to find a job in that industry. Deciding on that job however, can be difficult. Whether you’re just starting the search for your career path or are someone who is after a complete career change, finding a job that you love is important. When you think about the fact that most of your week is spent at work, starting or changing your career can be daunting, but it’s not as difficult as you think. Prestige Recruitment Group have compiled some great advice to help you secure that perfect job.

1)    What subjects did you enjoy at school? What hobbies do you have?

The best way to start looking for a job that you love is to think about what it is that you enjoy. As you grow older, it’s easy to forget about the topics that you enjoyed at school or when you were studying, and this can lead into doing a job that you don’t enjoy. So try and remember what you loved. For example, did you enjoy media at school? Do you appreciate photography? If you can pinpoint exactly what you like doing outside of work, it can make it easier to decide on a career path you enjoy.

2)    What jobs are related to the field you enjoy?

If you’ve decided on the field you enjoy, you should research the types of jobs you can do within that area. For example, if you enjoyed media at school, there are tonnes of jobs out there. You could become a journalist, a content creator, have a role in radio or television or work in illustration and animation. Another really useful way of deciding on a job is to go and see a career adviser who would be able to show you jobs within specific industries.

3)    Research the jobs

Once you’ve found a few potential career routes, you should research job descriptions to see if it’s something you could imagine doing. A great way to research specific jobs is to look at vacancies for that position, which will list the duties and responsibilities of that job role. You can then break down the day-to-day responsibilities of that career and see if it sounds like something you’d want to do.

4)    Get some experience in that field

After you’ve researched specific jobs and their responsibilities, try and get some experience within that field. Lots of companies across the United Kingdom allow people to come and shadow their employees in order to get a deeper insight into that type of career. For example, if you think you might want to become a radio producer, look at local radio stations and see if you can go and experience the company first-hand. The best way to decide what career you want to do is to get experience within different job roles so that you know what you enjoy doing and what you actually can’t stand.

5)    Check what qualifications and skills you need and get them

Remember those job descriptions you were looking at earlier? You can research them again to find out what skills or experience you need for that position. Tailoring your skills to the career you want couldn’t be easier after this.

Now you have all your skills and qualifications and you know what you want to do! Perfect. All you have left to do is sort out your CV (We can help with that – check out our other article ‘Top Tips for Improving Your CV!’) and its time to start applying and land yourself your dream job!

What Questions Can I Ask at the End of a Job Interview?

Although it may not always feel like it, interviews are a two-way street. They are a great way for a potential employer to get to know you and your working history, but they are also a great way for you to get to know your potential employer and their company.

As your interview draws to an end, it’s common for the potential employer to ask whether you have any questions for them. If you’ve seen our previous article The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For, you’ll know that when the employer asks this – the answer should always be yes. Grab this question and take full advantage of it! If you’re not too sure what to ask, Prestige Recruitment Group have you sorted and we’ve created a list of different questions that you could ask:

Questions about The Job Itself

·      What are the challenges of this position?

·      Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?

·      What is the typical career path for someone in this role?

·      What are your top priorities for the person in this position during the first 30 days?

·      What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel in this role?

Questions about The Company

·      How would you describe the company’s culture?

·      Where do you think the company is headed in the next 5 years?

·      Who do you consider to be your top competitor, and why?

·      How do you celebrate accomplishments and achievements here?

·      Is there anything we haven’t covered that you think is important to know about working for yourself?

Questions about The Interviewer

·      How did you get into this field of work?

·      What do you find is the biggest challenge working here?

·      What do you like about working for this company?

Best of luck with your job interview! If you need any more advice, check out our other blog How to be the Best Candidate for a Job to ensure you are as prepared as you can be!

How to be the Best Candidate for a Job

When you’re applying for a job, the chances are that you’re not going to be the only person applying for that role. Your potential employer is probably going to be interviewing a bunch of people who all want the exact same job that you do. The way to be the best of that bunch is to plan an interview strategy. Luckily for you, we’ve written some advice on things you should think about before you even get into that interview room and what you should do while there.

Before You Get There

Learn about the Company

Whatever role you are applying for, you should research the company before you get to interview. A very common interview question is to ask what you know about the company already – so make sure you know something. It shows your potential employer that you are passionate and serious about the job because you’ve done your homework! A good place to start when looking up the company is their history and what they do. Who set up the company? How long has the company been around? What do they specialise in? If you can, try and look at their future development plans too. This gives you something to bring up when they ask if you have any questions – it ensures the interview is a two-way street and you’ll come across as a really strong candidate.

Prepare Answers in Advance

By thinking about the type of questions that the potential employer is going to ask – you can prepare answers in advance. If you haven’t already, read our article ‘The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!’ and prepare answers for every single one. Don’t memorise your answers word for word– you don’t want to sound too rehearsed – but prepare answers so that you have an idea of what to say for each question. This means that there won’t be any awkward silences when you don’t know what to answer. If a question comes up that you haven’t prepared for – don’t worry. The preparation you’ve done might inspire some answers!

Think About Your Experience & Be Prepared To Give Examples

Everyone knows that in an interview, you’re going to be asked about your past working experiences. So before you go, think about your main skills and what evidence you have to show them. This shows to the potential employer that you’re not just saying you have the skills – you can provide strong evidence of how and when you’ve demonstrated them.

While You’re There

Keep it Concise

When you’re answering questions, keep it straight to the point - you don’t want to waffle too much. By being concise and showing evidence and examples, you’ll come across as professional, organised and experienced. It shows that you’re not lying about your skills and are confident in answering their questions.

Showcase Your Ambition

In your interview, you should illustrate your passion and ambition for the job. Show to the employer that by hiring you, they’re investing in their future. Asking questions about career growth and development opportunities shows them that you’re in it for the long haul and want to start your future there. By doing this, it shows the potential employer that you are genuinely passionate about your career and that you won’t just be a short-term member of staff, which makes you look like a great candidate.

Focus On Your Uniqueness

The interviewer wants to know how you stand out among the other applicants. Therefore, you should focus on qualities that you have that are different to what other people may offer. For example, if you’ve taken a course and are very experienced in Microsoft – explain this to the employer while talking about your skills. This is your chance to show your potential employer why you’re different to everyone else. 

Good luck with your job interview! If you need anymore advice, keep an eye on our blog for more information to help you secure your dream job. 

Ten Top Tips for Improving Your CV!

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1)   Prepare your CV before you start actively job searching

If you need a job, you are most definitely going to need a CV. You should make sure you have a completed CV before you start browsing for jobs. This means that when you start actively job searching, you can apply to anything that takes your fancy immediately. This is so much better than having to rush to finish the document before job vacancy closing dates. It also means you can take your time to create the perfect CV and don’t have to rush it all into a couple of hours or a day. (Now, if you’re reading this and you are up against a deadline – don’t worry. We still have 9 other tips to help you create the perfect CV. However, for future reference, try and update your CV every six months, even if you’re not job searching. This makes it easier for when you are! )

2)   Make sure your details are displayed clearly across the top of your CV.

This is really important as it means you are easy to contact. It saves the employer having to search through your whole CV just to find your number, which means they are more likely to pick up the phone and call you.

3)   Start with your most recent information

Regardless of the career you want to go into, you should always format your CV so that the most recent information will be the first thing the employer sees. You can do this by simply placing it first. You really don’t want the employer looking at something you did years ago and thinking you have no relevant experience in the field when you do – it’s just below everything else.

4)   Don’t be afraid to use bullet points & make sure you use keywords

It’s okay to use bullet points as long as the lists aren’t too long. Bullet points are a great way for you to embody keywords into your CV so that the employer can skim read through to check you are suitable. Don’t forget that your employer is probably going to read hundreds of CV’s and so will spend most of their time skim reading. In fact, some companies use a piece of software before a human even sees it. These programs look for specific words or phrases that relate to the job spec and industry so make sure you include them!

5)   Trim your CV & get rid of the irrelevant stuff

Your CV should be a maximum of 2 pages. Use plain English, avoid clichés and make sure you're not waffling. Remember you don’t have to detail every qualification and piece of work experience – if you have a degree, the grades you got for GCSE probably aren’t too important. Also, references aren’t necessary at this phase - you can simply write a sentence at the bottom saying ‘references available upon request.’

6)   Format your CV & make it look clean and clear

The presentation of your CV is just as important as the content. Try and space items evenly and fragment long paragraphs with line breaks and bullet points. DON’T USE colours and a big edgy font. Use a simple, clean font which will make your CV easy to follow.

7)   Tweak your CV & make it relevant

If you are applying to multiple positions, you should tweak your CV slightly to include keywords from the relevant job description. All of your employment history will stay the same, but you should slightly rearrange words so that you can show the employer that you have the exact skills they are after for that specific job.

8)   Check your CV & make sure there’s no mistakes

Once the content is written, you should check, double-check and even triple-check that the grammar and spelling of your CV is perfect. Mistakes in your CV do not make you come across well. It doesn’t matter if you have all the relevant skills and experience, if you can’t spell and write properly – you could lose out on the perfect job.

9)   Take a break and come back

If you’ve been spending a lot of the day editing your CV you may have missed something really small like chopping the end of a sentence off. If you’ve got time, leave it overnight and come back to the CV in the morning.

10)    Have a friend/family member check over it

Once you think you’ve completely finished the document, it’s always worth having a friend check over it. They will supply a fresh pair of eyes and will spot mistakes you might have missed. If you are both happy with it – it’s time to find your perfect job!

Prestige Recruitment Group wish you the best with your job search. If you need help with interview prep, be sure to check out our other blog posts such as The Top 10 Interview Questions You Should ALWAYS Prepare For!

Covering Letter or Not?

How to compose a covering letter

Should I write a covering letter? It can be a contentious issue as some employers really see the value in having one whilst others don’t if you are filling in an application form. We at Prestige Recruitment Group do not require one as we have many applications and CV’s to look through on a daily basis and the criteria is always skill set first. 

Quick tips for writing a covering letter:

• Ensure it doesn’t contain any spelling mistakes or bad grammar

• Be clear about what you are applying and show you understand what the job involves

• State why you think you are suitable, which will usually involve transferable skills

• Get to the point…… don’t write war and peace

• Always make sure it accompanies your CV

A Basic Interview Checklist!

Be prepared, this is basic but important for a successful interview! 

PREPARATION FOR YOUR INTERVIEW:

• Be sure you know the time, date and location of the interview and name of interviewee.

• Check out how you will get to the location and when you need to set off to be there in good time - do a dummy run if necessary. Plan to get there no earlier than half an hour before the interview time, anticipate delays.

• Have you got what you are going to wear ready.

• Do not go to the interview laden down with baggage - psychological as well as physical. Take the bare minimum of belongings necessary. Concentrate on the interview at the interview - nothing else.

• If you are well organised and have planned for the day your confidence will increase.

PREPARING TO MEET THE EMPLOYER:

• The interview is a chance for you and the employer to get to know one another

• Research and gather information about the business before you are interviewed - what do they do, what are their current projects, what future plans do they have, who are their competitors

• Make sure you know what the job entails, your Consultant should go through all the details of the job, the company culture, future expectations and some tips on what your interviewer is like. Take this information on board and use it to prepare.

Choosing a Good Recruiter, if you are looking for a job

At Prestige Recruitment Group, we like to think that all our Consultants are great but of course, there are good and bad Recruitment Consultants out there….you choose!

Things to consider:

• They should be well informed and knowledgeable within their market sector and offer you unbiased advice. In your initial enquiry, they will be polite and courteous and answer any questions you have.

• If you fit the criteria for a certain role they will spend time understanding your experience and future career goals either by a telephone interview or face to face meeting

• They will never ask you to lie at an interview

• They won’t pressure you into a job or attending an interview unless you feel it’s right for you however this should not be confused by them offering a well-informed insight into the role and company as they will have visited the client.

• They will never ask you for money!

All Consultants who work for Prestige Recruitment Group, have been trained to the highest standard and support real business ethics. Our areas of expertise include Office Support, Fashion & Retail, Sales & Marketing, Technical Engineering, Technology, HR and Hospitality.